Maulana Fazl meets Hamas officials in Qatar

LAHORE: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman met with Hamas officials in Qatar, assuring them of Pakistan’s full support for the Palestinian cause, ARY News reported quoting JUI-F.

According to party spokesperson, the meeting, took place with Hamas’ Shura Council, and discussed the current situation in Gaza and Palestine.

Maulana Rehman reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the Palestinian struggle for freedom, stating that Palestine is an independent state and that Israeli occupation cannot be supported.

He also expressed support for the Palestinian people’s fight for the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine.

The Hamas leadership thanked Maulana Rehman for his support, reaffirming the strong bond between Pakistan and Palestine.

Read More:  Israel says it is postponing release of Palestinian prisoners

The meeting came at the time when Israel said it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners it had planned to free the day before until group Hamas met its conditions, underscoring the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire accord.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced early Sunday that Israel would wait to release 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees until it was certain the next hostages would be freed, and without any degrading ceremonies.

This refers to recent handovers by Hamas that the U.N. said were disrespectful and broke international law. Hamas made hostages appear on stage and speak in front of crowds before being released, and even carried coffins with hostage remains through crowds.

Israel’s announcement also accused Hamas of breaking the month-old ceasefire multiple times. This came after Hamas handed over six hostages from Gaza on Saturday as part of a truce.

These six hostages were the last living Israeli captives to be freed during the first phase of the ceasefire. The bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages will be released next week.